Tower Of The Elite

A low groan escaped Nathan's lips as his eyes slowly fluttered open. An unfamiliar ceiling loomed above him, and he rubbed his head, trying to recall his last memory.

"The police..." he muttered aloud, slowly lifting his body from the bed. As his gaze swept around the spacious room, he heard a sweet voice.

"The police didn't catch you. You're safe now."

Nathan turned toward the voice, but as his eyes landed on the woman seated at the far side of the room, his mind went blank, as if struck by a sudden shock.

The woman was breathtakingly beautiful, perhaps the most beautiful he had ever seen. Yet, what struck him even more was that he hadn't even seen her face, which was obscured by a veil that concealed everything except her piercing blue eyes.

The woman had crimson hair and porcelain skin, her lean figure draped in a dark green gown adorned with emeralds. The fabric spoke of wealth and elegance, a detail Nathan couldn't help but notice with his keen eye for finer things.

His mind struggled to make sense of what he was witnessing. How could someone reveal so little, yet still be so captivating, so serene, so enchanting? Nathan wondered, but his thoughts faltered when the woman frowned, as though disgusted by his gaze.

He coughed once, attempting to mask his embarrassment.

Flashing the woman with a warm smile, he said, "Thank you for taking care of me. May I know your name?"

The woman's eyes softened slightly as she responded with a melodic voice, "My name is Hestia Olphis, one of the directors and stakeholders of Yanis Corp."

As soon as Nathan heard the word 'Yanis' he grasped the underlying implications. This woman was wealthy. Yanis Corporation was the global leader in the gaming industry, with an annual revenue of 7.3 billion dollars.

He couldn't help but wonder, what would someone of her stature want with a nobody like him?

His mind drifted, lost in the question until Hestia's voice broke through again. "Can you tell me about yourself?"

Nathan realizing that he had yet to introduce himself became flustered as he replied in a hurry,

"Ahhh.. s-sorry for not introducing myself first... My Nathan is my name".

He felt his face heating up in embarrassment as he slapped himself after processing his own words.

'What the fuck am I saying?', he cursed inwardly but then,

"Hahahaha....", Hestia as if amused by his flustered responses started laughing which only made Nathan get more embarrassed as his face reddened.

Hestia instantly picked up his reaction and stopped laughing to save himself from more embarrassment, but she couldn't help but ask herself,

'I have seen many lesser beings losing their composure, yet only his reactions made me laugh, Is it because it's been a long time since I interacted with a lesser other than Yennefer?' 

Hestia sighed inwardly as she couldn't find the exact answer, She had always been an introvert who rarely spoke with anyone. Even right now, she was using a clone to talk to him as she could not enter Earth with her true body. 

After regaining her stance, she spoke in a calm manner, " We are in no hurry, little boy, take your time." Her words helped him relax as she spoke again, " You should eat first" she said while pointing a the small stand beside his bed, where a neatly packed tray filled with various foods were there. 

When Nathan opened the lid and the aroma escaped, his tummy growled as if urging him to start eating, his mouth watered as he smelled it but then realizing his inappropriate behavior, he turned to Hestia, while not directly meeting her eyes and with a reddened face spoke,

"Thank you very much for the food, Lady Hestia. Please overlook my ruffian behavior just now, My mind doesn't work when I become hungry"

"It's fine, go ahead" 

After receiving her permission, Nathan wasted no time and started devouring everything at a frightening speed until Hestia's playful voice echoed in his ears,

" hehe... As I said, we are in no rush, so take your time. You won't be able to enjoy the taste of food and digest the nutrients in them if you eat like a glutton"

 Nathan stopped and bowed his head towards Hestia once again.

" I'm very sorry Lady Hestia...sniff.. sniff... this food is just one of the best ones I have ever had... sniff"

Nathan wasn't lying. the last time he had such fine and rich food was when his girlfriend took him on a date, where they dined on a yacht. 

After finishing the rest of the meal while savoring the taste to his joy, Nathan cleaned his mouth with a towel and once again thanked Hestia. He also washed his hands and sat across the sofa from Hestia.

Once Nathan was settled, he introduced himself properly this time, mentioning that he was just an unemployed man and a university dropout. He casually added that he had attended an Ivy League school, though that didn't seem to surprise Hestia. He chose not to mention his current situation, leaving her to ask whatever she needed to know.

"Now, that we are done with the basic introductions and you are healthy enough-"

Frrrrt

Hestia's voice was interrupted when Nathan involuntarily farted which made him ashamed even more.

'Just how low am I going to fall today?' He didn't know whom to curse for such back-to-back embarrassments.

Hestia, as if disgusted, covered her nose, a frown etched on her face as she moved farther away from him.

Seeing her reaction, Nathan felt compelled to speak,

"Ah don't worry mam, My farting is only loud and has no smell, it's like all bark and no bite"

"Yuck- what are you even saying to a lady" 

Nathan could swear he saw her face contort in disgust, even though the veil covered it. 'Seriously, what is wrong with me?' he cursed silently at his stomach and mind.

After Hestia sprayed some air freshener, she asked in a serious tone, "Why did you give away the ticket?"

For a moment, Nathan didn't understand her question. His mind was still reeling from the earlier embarrassment.

Then it clicked to him what she was asking, but then a new question formed in his head,

'How did she know?'

As if reading his thoughts Hestia spoke with the same seriousness,

"Don't bother on those meaningless thoughts too much and answer the question, You were all fighting like dogs for the money, so why the change of heart?"

she was done showing kindness to such a dirty man that would-, that would do that in front of a lady.

Nathan's expression turned serious, but there was a hint of sadness in his expression.

Hestia was quick to catch on it, but the sadness was not regret, but something else.

"I simply thought practically, I was in no condition to escape from the Police and I would lose the money to some corrupt officer" Nathan explained it as if his actions were more tactful than emotional. 

"What if that man was lying about his sister's health?" Hestia asked, trying to plant a seed of doubt, hoping for a flicker of regret in Nathan's eyes.

But Nathan simply smiled and responded, "That's not possible. I know he didn't lie. He had no reason to, and besides..."

"Besides?" Hestia pressed, her curiosity piqued.

Nathan turned to face her fully, his expression devoid of embarrassment, anger, lust, or regret. Instead, there was a deep sadness in his eyes, one so profound that it touched something in Hestia, evoking a rare emotional response. She could feel exactly what he was feeling at that moment, thanks to her .

"I know what he was going through. I understood him better than anyone."

At that moment, Hestia finally grasped the reason behind his actions. An understanding dawned on her.

'I see... he is indeed worthy of investment, but I can't risk letting him slip through my fingers. If he dies after that...'

She didn't finish the thought, as there was no need to entertain a scenario that would never come to pass.

'I only came to earth to talk with Yennefer, But this man... I need to know more' With a determined resolve, she unhooked her veil.

"This—this..." Nathan's gaze shifted from sorrow to pure euphoria. Hestia's face, now fully revealed, was unlike anything he had ever seen. It was so beautiful, so ethereal, it felt beyond his reach. Overcome with awe, he lowered his gaze, instinctively feeling the need to bow, as if she were a goddess.

Even though her beauty was only a fraction of her true form, it was enough to captivate him completely.

Her serene, divine beauty, even though it was a mere fraction of her true form, was enough to captivate someone like Nathan. His knees buckled, and before he even realized it, he had dropped to the ground, on the verge of kowtowing in reverence. But just as he was about to lower his forehead to the floor, Hestia raised a hand to stop him.

"Summarize everything about your life, and don't leave anything out."

Her voice was a command, laced with a power that made every word feel like an unbreakable chain. Nathan, utterly captivated and powerless before her, began to spill everything. There was no room for hesitation, no ability to hide. His mind, now completely under her spell, had no resistance left.

When he finished, the room fell into a heavy silence. Nathan remained on his knees, head bowed, his mind completely subdued. His willpower, once strong, was now nothing in the face of her overwhelming charm.

"Forget everything from the moment I removed the veil, including my face."

"But, my lady—"

"Is that understood?" Hestia's voice was soft, yet unyielding. It held a finality that left no room for protest. Her charm could easily twist Nathan's thoughts, but that wasn't her aim. She sought something deeper.

"Yes, My Goddess," Nathan mumbled in a low, almost reverent voice as he slowly rose back to his seat. His mind, still under Hestia's influence, began to erase the memories of the past few minutes as if they had never existed. When he opened his eyes again, Hestia had already covered her face once more.

"Ahh... what happened?" Nathan asked, his voice confused, his mind struggling to piece together the fragments of his memory. He remembered answering her questions, but everything after that was a blur.

"Nothing, you just dozed off," Hestia replied smoothly, her voice a perfect mask of calm. She easily gaslighted him, making him believe that he had simply fallen asleep, unaware of the subtle manipulation at play.

After contemplating for a long time, Hestia stood up from her seat and walked closer to him, Nathan in response stood up as he felt his heart race at every step she took to close the distance.

His heart was pounding so loud that he feared it would burst out. He instinctively knew, If she were to just touch him, His little brother would rise and burst like there is no tomorrow.

When they were only a shoulder's width apart, Hestia pulled out a black parchment, the size of a cash note. It was pitch black, with a gray crown design on each side. She handed it to Nathan and said,

"You're worthy of this job. I've transferred 5 million dollars to your bank account. Tomorrow at noon, tear this slip, and your new life will begin."

With those words, Hestia turned and walked out of the room. Nathan remained frozen, his mind struggling to process everything she had just said. His hands instinctively reached for his phone, its cracked screen was a reminder of the recent gang fight, but it still worked fine.

He opened his banking app, his eyes widening as he checked his balance. True to her word, it read: 5,000,008.12$.

For a moment, pride swelled within him at being deemed 'worthy.' The sheer amount left him stunned, but as he stared at the screen, more questions clouded his mind. What kind of job was she talking about? What did all of this mean?

Everything about this meeting felt strange. This job could be connected to the powerful figures who controlled the world, but instead of fear, he felt something else—a sense of a new beginning, a lifeline thrown to him.

A grin spread across his face. 'This is my chance', he thought, 'A chance to redeem myself'

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A/N: 

Next chapter, Our MC (Nathan) goes to the Tower of Ascendance.

I will take it a bit slow explaining a few stuff before diving into the story.